Millions of people in northern England anxiously await what restrictions Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce in Parliament on Monday in response to the resurgence of COVID-19. Johnson is expected to announce ‘Local COVID Alert Levels,’ or a three-tier local lockdown system. According to Johnson’s office, as per the system, the country will be placed under “medium,” “high” and “very high” alert levels. The highest level of lockdown is expected to involve the closure of pubs and restaurants and the banning of household mixing, both indoors and outside, among other measures.
The area’s tier will be determined by the rate of infection, the number of cases and recovery rate. While tier-two restrictions will be in place for areas with more than 100 cases per 100,000 of population, tier one will be imposed on areas with less than 100 cases per 100,000 population.
The Guardian reported, in the seven days to October 8, Nottingham had the highest rate of confirmed cases of coronavirus in England with 734 per 100,000, followed by Knowsley in Merseyside (572), Liverpool (528), Newcastle upon Tyne (487) and Manchester (427). Places with fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 in that period included the City of Bristol (97), Cambridgeshire (51) Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (27).
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, warned that the UK is at a “tipping point” and said, “But we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act now.”
The new lockdown system is meant to simplify the process by which local restrictions are imposed. Johnson is expected to announce the measures before meeting with Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and the government’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty. The UK has experienced Europe’s deadliest outbreak, with an official death toll of 42,825, up another 65 on Sunday, AP reported. Besides local measures, 10 pm curfew has been imposed on pubs and restaurants.